Iran

This quatrain was interpreted on December 2003.  It is being revisited.

Century I, Quatrain 70:
Rain, famine and war will not cease in Persia; too great a faith will betray the monarch.  Those (actions) started in France will end there, a secret sign for one to be sparing.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks:

The first interpretation of this quatrain was posted on www.currentpredictions.org in 2003. This posting includes refinements and two related predictions previously left out. 

Chronologically, this prediction starts with the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, by the Islamic Revolution of Iran of 1979.

Nostradamus’ prediction “too great a faith will betray the monarch” refers to the powerful religious movement that toppled the Shah. 

It should be noted that the Shah was the only monarch in modern Persian/Iranian history.  Hence, Nostradamus’ wording “…will betray the monarch” is relevant and correct.

Following the Shah’s overthrow and departure into exile, the Grand Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic revolution, who until then lived in exile in France, returned to Iran as the Supreme Leader of the new government.  Nostradamus’ description “Those (actions) started in France…” is correct and relevant to this prediction. 

The above part of the quatrain which relates to the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran has been fulfilled precisely as described by Nostradamus. The rest of the prediction probably applies to the period starting with the revolution in 1979, and covers an undetermined time into the future.  If Nostradamus is equally correct about the bleak future he describes for Iran, as he was in the first part of his prediction, both the Middle East, as well as the rest of the world, would be confronted with grim and far-reaching geopolitical problems.      

 
The rest of the quatrain which has not been addressed in this section will be interpreted under General Comments together with two other complementary quatrains.

General Comments:  

• Unquestionably, the implications of Nostradamus’ prediction are bound to have a profound impact on the geopolitical stability of the Middle East and beyond its geographic borders.  Therefore, the potential merits and validity of what Nostradamus predicted will be evaluated and scrutinized on the basis of historical data, current ongoing experiences and observations, Iran’s geopolitical aspirations, and behavioral patterns of the Middle East protagonists (the Shiites and Sunnis) since 1979.  Future potential outcomes will be extrapolated.

 

• As noted above, Nostradamus’ expression “Rain, famine and war will not cease in Persia” covers the period starting circa 1979 to an undetermined time into the future.

 

• With few words Nostradamus portrays a very dire and dangerous situation about Iran, expected to last many years into the future.  His phraseology sounds both as a supplication and as a warning to mankind to try to steer away from this impending calamity.  His message is very clear.  In fact, his message could not be stated any clearer.  But, what is he telling us and why is his message of such utmost importance?

 

• In brief, he is telling us that Iran will be involved in constant warfare, and its people will suffer from continuous famine.  But, his most critical prediction relevant to the ongoing Iranian nuclear situation is his cryptic expression that the famine and war will be associated with “rain”, a word, which in Nostradamus’ lingo, infers radioactive rain.  The wording of his expression infers that he was fully aware of the current ongoing situation in the Middle East.  Could his prediction be correct, and if so, why?  But, before I proceed to the analysis, I would like to delve into Nostradamus’ references to milk and rain, and why these two words are so relevant and important to this prediction.

 

• Century II, quatrain 46 posted on www.Currentpredictions.org back in 2003 refers to rain and milk.  In this particular quatrain he associates milk and rain with blood, disease, and famine.  The word milk infers a nuclear mushroom.  The word rain infers radioactive rain and he associates it with sickness, blood, and famine.  Indeed, radioactivity can sicken and kill people; and, it can also bring about famine because agricultural products grown on contaminated land are not edible.  Obviously, Nostradamus did not only have the ability to see things many years into the future, but he could also assess their ramifications beyond the visual plane. Note however that in century I, quatrain 70, which refers to Persia/Iran, Nostradamus does not refer to milk.  In this quatrain he only refers to rain.  This difference may be very important.  It will be explained later on.  But this difference could be one more reason why Nostradamus’ prediction may merit our utmost attention.  Now I will proceed to the analysis to determine “Why Nostradamus may be right in his prediction”.    

Historical Perspective:

      

History tells us that in the past Iran and its many Arab neighboring countries have been involved in constant religious conflicts.  The hostility has been mutual. The spiritual divide between the Sunnis and Shiites is too deep and irreconcilable.  The constant antagonistic dissension for regional religious dominance transcends secular logic and national interests.  Religious fanaticism has been a blinding force that defies logic. 

 

       Status Since 1979:

 

1. From 1980 through 1988 Iran has been involved in a prolonged, destructive, military conflict with Iraq.  During this entire period the Iranian people did suffer considerably.

2. Considering the fact that following the Iranian Islamic Revolution the regime is tightly controlled by Ayatollahs, one could reasonably assume that the potential for future conflicts could increase exponentially.  Iranian national interests are bound to become subordinate to religious beliefs and spiritual aspirations.  The indiscriminate massacre of thousands of innocent civilians in Syria is proof that the Ayatollahs are willing to employ ruthless force in order to attain their goals.  In fact, during the Iranian green revolution, the regime did not hesitate to massacre its own people in order to stay in power.  If the Ayatollahs have demonstrated such cruelty at this time, how would they behave in the future, if they had weapons of mass destruction? 

     

2. For several years Iran has persistently supported the Hezbollah organization in Lebanon, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad Shiite regime, the Palestinian Hamas, and the Iraqi Shiites.  Iran’s actions destabilized Lebanon, and indirectly, through proxies, brought about serious socioeconomic cleavages in adjacent Sunni countries.  The massive Syrian diaspora to other Sunni countries has exacerbated their socioeconomic conditions even more, and destabilized their regimes.  The impact of the Syrian refugee tsunami will be felt for many decades to come. The most critical lasting effect of the current ongoing conflicts may be the radicalization it created among Sunnis and the potential for future retribution.   

4. All these current ongoing conflicts and bloodshed have increased religious tensions and the desire for revenge against the Shiite regime.  Peace and amicable relations among countries rely on trust and on a workable balance of power.  In the Middle East, trust is non-existent.  Furthermore, the balance of power could change dramatically in favor of Iran, no matter what the outcome of the nuclear negotiations is.  If Iran is permitted to weaponize its nuclear material, they will de facto become a super-nuclear threat not only to the Sunnis and Israel but potentially to the entire world.  Religious fanatics cannot be trusted.  On the other hand, if Iran is allowed to retain their current nuclear energy program, even as a peaceful program, Iran would still tip the scales of the regional balance of power. 

5. Whether we want to admit it or not, Iran currently has the finest governing operations of all the countries in the entire Middle East, including Israel.  The obvious success of their programs demonstrates that they have well-identified and defined strategic objectives.  Their plans are obviously managed by highly competent personnel. Their actions demonstrate that they are following well prepared plans that cover all potential options and outcomes.  Their actions demonstrate that their plans are pragmatic with specific short-term and long-term objectives.  Their actions clearly demonstrate that they are determined to achieve their objectives at any cost. They are cunning, they are realistic, they are outstanding administrators, and they seem to follow a well-defined national strategy.  Therefore, their future success is assured – even with a nuclear energy program.  On the other hand, we see a bunch of decadent Sunni administrations, governing on a day-to-day basis, wasting their national revenue on non-essential programs, reacting to events rather than pursuing a meaningful and constructive long-term plan and national strategy.  They don’t seem to be cognizant that one of these days there will be no more oil to pump out of the ground.  In the case of Israel, we see nothing more than sclerotic administrations mired in an anachronistic national defense concept.  Their paramount national strategic objective seems to be the perpetual construction of “Israeli settlements”.  Israel’s behavioral pattern clearly demonstrates that the governing administrations are not even aware of what their true national interests are.  

6. In brief, the change in the balance of power in favor of Iran could take place for the following reasons: 

1. Nuclear power plants will enable Iran to meet the country’s future electric demand in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Relatively cheap electric power will enable Iran to expand and modernize its manufacturing and industrial base, including its defense industry.  On the contrary, neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia which currently rely on oil/gas to power electric plants will continue to allocate valuable and scarce oil/gas resources to meet electric demand.  Eventually, this could end up as a very costly and wasteful process.  As oil/gas reserves of Sunni countries are depleted – and oil/gas is still the main source of revenue to Sunni countries – the lack of nuclear energy plants could become a serious economic and national defense liability.  All indications point to the fact that time is on the side of Iran. 

2. As Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves deplete, its oil revenues will be hard pressed to support both the country’s many domestic social programs and its defense budget. Military strength is based on economic strength.  Any future reduction in oil revenue is bound to result in serious social unrest.  In fact, depletion of oil resources is bound to impact dramatically the socioeconomic and defense posture of all Sunni countries.  What have the Sunni countries done to prepare for a future without oil?  In turn, this will affect the regional balance of power. 

3. The demographics within Israel are projected to change in favor of the Palestinians.  This is bound to bring about further domestic instability and national insecurity within Israel, which Iran could try to take advantage of.  Even if Iran did not have nuclear weapons, it would have more advanced rockets, missiles, and probably other types of weapons of mass destruction.  The point I like to make is that the “good old days” when young Palestinians threw stones at Israelis, are gone.  The stones and slings have been replaced with sophisticated rockets and missiles that could reach Israeli cities effortlessly.  Iran does not necessarily need to be a nuclear power to threaten Israel or its immediate Sunni neighbors.  A non-nuclear Iran, with a highly sophisticated technical knowhow and a well-managed defense infrastructure, could still pose a serious threat to its immediate neighbors.  The world will soon witness this transformative metamorphosis the moment the economic sanctions imposed on Iran during the last few years are retracted.  Iran’s industrial infrastructure will blossom into an amazing killing machine.             

4. The U.S. budget deficit is increasing every year.  At some point in the future the fiscal budgets are bound to be cut dramatically in order to partially balance the budget.  Economic weakness is bound to affect U.S. influence in foreign countries.  Foreign aid and military assistance to countries like Jordan, Israel, and Egypt would either be reduced or discontinued.  When this happens, recipient countries will feel the impact in different ways.  Iran could take advantage of the opportunity to exert its influence in a way that could increase regional instability and result in a new round of local conflicts. 

7. Even if Iran currently agrees to a peaceful nuclear program, we don’t know if at some point in the future Iran would renege on its agreement and surreptitiously attempt to weaponize its nuclear material.  If this were to happen, the assumption is that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be hit by conventional weapons and bunker busters.   Such an attack could result in an accidental radioactive release in the environment.  This may be the reason why Nostradamus predicted radioactive rain but no nuclear mushroom. 

8. Any future military engagements with Iran are bound to have world-wide economic impact because of potential oil disruptions.  Depending on the scope and extent of the conflicts, oil prices could skyrocket.  Weak economies dependent on imported oil would be affected most.  For some countries such an event could be calamitous.  As time goes by, militarily, Iran will be in a better posture to withstand air attacks against its underground nuclear sites.  Air attacks will undoubtedly damage many of these nuclear facilities, and could destroy some altogether, but Iran would still retain the technological knowledge and enough nuclear material for a new restart.

9. The long-term success of any Iranian nuclear agreements depends on the existence and qualitative attributes of a credible U.S. coherent foreign strategy vis-à-vis the Middle East.  Currently, such a strategy, or doctrine, is non-existent.  Our strategy and doctrine appear to be redefined daily. 

10. As long as Israel continues to behave irresponsibly, Israel will continue to destabilize the security of the Middle East and foment the flames for new conflicts.  The time for a peaceful rapprochement with the Palestinians is running out.     

      Related Quatrains: 

The last sentence of century I, quatrain 70, states “Those (actions) started in France will end there, a secret sign for one to be sparing.”  I believe this cryptic remark relates to another prediction, century II, quatrain 2, which cites:

The blue leader will inflict upon the white leader as much damage as France has done them good.  Death from the great antenna hanging from the branch, when the king will ask how many of his men have been captured.”

 

I cannot fully interpret the scenario of this prediction, but I believe Nostradamus is telling us that at some point in the future Iran will attack France – presumably with nuclear weapons.  The expression “blue leader” refers to the Iranians.  Nostradamus’ remark “ …as France has done them good” refers to the fact that France had permitted Ayatollah Khomeini to reside in France during his exile.

The other quatrain related to Iran is century V, quatrain 86.  This quatrain was posted on currentpredictions.blogspot.com/ on April 2004.  The timing of this prediction relates to when the sea level will be rising, several/many years into the future.  The relevant point is that Iran will be powerful enough to exert pressure on neighboring countries like Turkey.  This should tell us something.  

Summary:

We need to realize that Nostradamus’ prediction does not apply just to the immediate future but to several decades into the future.  With this in mind, we need to recognize that any nuclear agreements negotiated in 2013 or 2014, may no longer be valid twenty or thirty years later because other factors may have radically altered the regional balance of power. Examples: depletion of Saudi Arabian oil, lower oil prices, an economic depression or a fiscal crisis in the US, etc.  In brief, the Middle East could face various potential catalysts, internal or external, that could gradually or abruptly change the political dynamics of the region.  One thing is certain.  The introduction of nuclear technology, regardless whether it is weaponized or not, is bound to eventually tip the scales in favor of Iran.  Therefore, the propensity for future conflicts in the Middle East will rise, no matter how successful the current United Nations nuclear negotiations prove to be. 

Readers of this website should realize that not all predictions are absolute.  Not all events are predetermined.  "Free will" invariably always plays an important role in our decision-making process that could alter the course of events.  In fact, the reason why Nostradamus may have published these predictions may have been to alert mankind of the evils awaiting mankind unless our leaders sober up and act with more diligence, seriousness, and tolerance.  Going to war is a serious decision, a very serious decision.  Peoples’ lives are at stake – many of them innocent bystanders, what we casually refer to as “collateral damage”.  Furthermore, there is always the possibility of a pyrrhic outcome or serious unintended consequences.  People should stop thinking of “victory”.  Let’s start talking and thinking about “the cost” – the cost to our national treasury, the cost to innocent participants that could lose their lives, ruin their health, and the psychological devastation to military retirees.  Maybe this is what Nostradamus is so desperately trying to tell us.   So, as you ponder his prediction, evaluating and scrutinizing the facts and/or arguments presented herein, also think of "free will" and its potential implications.  

 

Mabus – Mahmoud Abbas Revisited
This quatrain was interpreted before.  This is a revisit.

Century II, Quatrain 62:
Mabus will then soon die and there will come a dreadful destruction of people and animals.  Suddenly vengeance will be revealed, a hundred hands, thirst and hunger, when the comet will pass.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks:
Interpretaions of this quatrain were posted on www.currentpredictions.blogspot.com/ on August 1, 2010 and December 4, 2012.  This posting includes corrections and refinements.

Details of the prediction are cited below.

General Comments:

• In the previous postings of this quatrain it was noted that the anagram “Mabus” used by Nostradamus probably refers to Mahmoud Abbas.

 

• In this quatrain Nostradamus is employing a causative expression (from the French words alors mourra) to tell us that Mahmoud Abbas will then die.  This expression implies that Mahmoud Abbas will “die as a result of something happening to him”.

 

• Nostradamus does not tell us what is the precise cause of Mahmoud Abbas’ death, but in the same sentence he tells us that a dreadful destruction of both people and animals will ensue. 

 

• The wording “dreadful destruction of people and animals” clearly describes the results of a chemical and/or biological attack. Nostradamus may imply that Mahmoud Abbas is one of the many victims.   

 

• If my assumption is correct that the anagram “Mabus” stands for Mahmoud Abbas, then Nostradamus is also giving us the place where this attack would take place.  Mahmoud Abbas lives in the Palestinian area, adjacent to Israeli territory.  Any chemical/biological attack against Israel is bound to also affect Palestinians.  Therefore, Nostradamus implies that Israel and adjacent Palestinian areas will experience a dreadful chemical and/or biological attack.

 

• The word dreadful may imply that the attack will be a lot more serious than what we have recently experienced in Syria. The only remaining question is the timing of this attack, and he is giving us this information in his very last sentence of the quatrain.  

 

• The last sentence tells us that this event will transpire after the passing of the comet.  Recent NASA postings on the Internet refer to a newly discovered comet, ISON, which is expected to enter the solar system the latter part of November 2013.  Nostradamus tells us that the attack would transpire after the passing of this comet.  

Nostradamus’ timing of the attack is very intriguing.  He is basically telling us that the attack would take place in 2014.  Nostradamus’s timing coincides with the last window of opportunity Israel has to attack Iran’s nuclear sites in order to delay their nuclear program.  During his recent visit to the United States in October 2013, Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly stated that a pre-emptive strike against the Iranian nuclear sites is mandatory, and the next few months is the last window of opportunity Israel will have to do so.  He also emphasized that Iran’s nuclear facilities are capable of producing fissile material for as many as two hundred nuclear warheads, not just one or two.  Nostradamus’ prediction has profound implications.  A peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear impasse appears to be unattainable.  To Israel, a nuclear Iran is an existential threat to its very existence.  In parallel, a nuclear Iran is an existential need for the Shiite theocracy and its dominance in the Muslim world. 

Nostradamus’ warning is relevant to the turbulent, violent, and unpredictable current events in the Middle East.  In view of the ongoing events in Syria, Iran’s efforts to develop a nuclear program, and Israel’s declaration that they will not allow Iran to become a nuclear power, Nostradamus’ warning merits special attention.  Furthermore, what renders this prediction worthy of our attention is the fact that Nostradamus associates the attack with weapons of mass destruction that can affect both people and animals. Syria has already employed these weapons of mass destruction.

 

     

Osama bin Laden and The Evolving Al Qaeda 
The two quatrains cited below were interpreted and posted on www.CURRENTpredictions.org on December 2003.  They are updated because of the current events in Syria, Egypt, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa.  This posting delves into predicted events that were not adequately addressed in 2003.  New comments are cited after quatrain 25, below.

Century VI , Quatrain 80
From Fez the kingdom will stretch out to those of Europe.  The city blazes, the sword will slash; the great man of Asia with a great troop by land and sea so that blues, perse, he will drive out the cross to death.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks:
The "Fez" is the name of a cone-shaped flat-crowned hat worn by Turks, and may be still worn in parts of Turkey and other Islamic countries. The word "Fez" symbolizes the Ottoman Empire that covered the entire Middle East, Macedonia, Arabia, and Egypt.

The "…the great man of Asia…" refers to Osama bin Laden who lives in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. These countries are in Asia, hence he refers to him as "the man of Asia". Also, Nostradamus refers to bin Laden as "great" because in the eyes of many Muslims he is great.

The expression "From Fez the kingdom will stretch out to those of Europe" does not refer to a military invasion but Nostradamus uses this expression to symbolize the mass migration of Muslim workers to European countries and the fact that they too have been influenced by Osama bin Laden's ideology. (Note that several of the participants in the World Trade Center attack came from European countries.)

The expression "the great man of Asia with a great troop by land and sea …" refers to the great number of followers he has, and that his attacks will be waged not only on land but also at sea, as it happened with the destroyer USS Cole. The word "blues" may be used as a color differentiation to represent the majority of Muslims who are darker.

This quatrain describes very accurately the current ongoing events. In this prediction Nostradamus does not refer to bin Laden with any specific title, as he rightfully does in many other predictions (e.g. king or Emperor). The above designation is precise and appropriate.

 

The rest of the prediction tells us that the ideology of this "great man from Asia" will unite all Muslims (his ideology will have a widespread appeal), including the Iranians, to drive the cross to death. The cross designates "Christians". Note that the struggle is not against the Jews or Israel, but against the Christians. Also, the implication is that Iran is, or will get, involved into the Iraqi Shiite and/or al-Qaeda activities.

 

This quatrain also relates to Century V, quatrain 25. In this quatrain Nostradamus also refers to Osama bin Laden, but in quatrain 25 he refers to him as the "Arab Prince". Both designations are correct, and they definitely represent the appropriate title. By splitting his prediction in two related quatrains and using "Arab Prince" in one and "great man from Asia" in the other, Nostradamus made it a lot harder for us to figure out what he is talking about. But this is exactly how Nostradamus describes his predictions. Had he integrated his predictions into one message, his prediction would be easier to figure out.

General Comments:  

The message of this quatrain applies to the ongoing hostilities not only in Iraq but also throughout the Middle East and many other parts of the world. The implications are serious and critical. First, the prediction tells us that if we remain in the Middle East we will suffer many casualties. The inference, however, is that we will stay in Iraq, and in general, in the Middle East for a certain period of time. It is perfectly obvious that under such a hostile environment any investments will not serve any good purpose, no matter how much we spend. Judging from the predictions, the recent investment of about $67.5 billion of taxpayers' money the Administration is giving Iraq will go down the drain (congress approved $87.5 billion but about $20 billion is for Afghanistan). Nostradamus' expression " … he will drive the cross to death." may also imply that the terrorist activities, in addition to human casualties, will adversely impact our economy. No matter how one interprets this quatrain, it doesn't look positive.
__________________________________________________________________

Century V, Quatrain 25
The Arab Prince, Mars, the Sun, Venus and Leo, the rule of the Church will succumb to the sea. Towards Persia very nearly a million men will invade Egypt and Byzantium, the true serpent.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks
The astrological time reference "Mars, the Sun, Venus, and Leo" goes a few years back to the beginning of bin Laden's activities.

The prediction describes bin Laden's fanatic ideology and his ability to influence the thinking of the Muslim world. The prediction does not mean that a million men will invade Egypt and Byzantium. Byzantium could symbolize modern Turkey but, most probably, it symbolizes the geographic area of the Byzantine Empire, which, at one time, was extensive. The areas that were previously included in the Byzantine Empire are currently inhabited, mostly, by people of the Muslim faith.

The expression "Towards Persia very nearly a million men …" describes the direction from which Osama bin Laden's ideology will originate. In other words, Nostradamus tells us that bin Laden's ideology will originate East of Iran (Afghanistan-Pakistan), and it will spread Westward towards Egypt and the other areas of the old Byzantine Empire, which includes modern Turkey. Don't the recent terrorist acts in Istanbul reflect what Nostradamus predicted?

In this quatrain Nostradamus merely wants to emphasize that bin Laden who is referred to as both an "Arab" and a "Prince" will win the hearts and souls of the Muslim population, including the Turks, the Iranians, and Egyptians. That is why he uses the symbolic expression "…the true serpent". Nostradamus is telling us that the movement is so powerful, it spreads everywhere like a serpent.

 

Doesn't this prediction, very accurately, describe the terrorists (martyrs) that are willing to kill themselves for their cause? In this quatrain Nostradamus tells us that the "rule of the Church will succumb to the sea". In other words, he insinuates that we will have casualties, and the implication is that we may finally give up and leave.

 

General Comment:  

The impact and implications to our current Middle East strategy and to our economy will be discussed in the near future.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The paragraphs below were written on August and September 2013.

 

General Comments:

The first and most noteworthy observation on these two quatrains referring to Osama bin Laden is the precision of Nostradamus’ wording describing current ongoing events and geopolitical conditions, as well as the metaphorical inferences his wording conveys.  Their relevance to actual transpiring events and geopolitical conditions is awesome.  For example: 

• In “century VI, quatrain 80”, he says “…the kingdom will stretch out to those of Europe…”.  The words “stretch out” are used as a synonym to “migrate”.  In this quatrain he is referring to a peaceful/lawful migration of Muslims from countries previously occupied by the Byzantine Empire.  The extraordinary point is that Nostradamus has correctly distinguished this event as a peaceful/lawful migration, rather than an invasion – as was the case for many centuries in the past.  

• Another equally remarkable observation is that he timed this Muslim migration precisely with Osama bin Laden’s lifetime, which is also correct.  The European Common Market opened its national boundaries circa 1965.  But what renders these quatrains even more credible, is the fact that at the time Nostradamus wrote his predictions, the very idea of allowing Muslims to live in European countries would, in itself, be considered preposterous – an anathema.

• Another very precise observation relates to the geographic scope and degree of Osama bin Laden’s influence that his ideology has had on Muslim people. In century V, quatrain 25, he says “Towards Persia very nearly a million men will invade Egypt and Byzantium, the true serpent”.  Note the verb Nostradamus uses in his expression, “invade”.  Isn’t Nostradamus referring to Al Qaeda fighters and religious extremists who move uninvited from one country to another to fight for their ideology?  Isn’t the word “invade” an excellent metaphorical expression of Al Qaeda’s modus operandi in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and recently in Syria?  Doesn’t the word “invade” connote that the presence of Al Qaeda fighters is not welcomed?

 

• What about Nostradamus’ expression “…the true serpent”?  Doesn’t this expression infer an attribute of stealthiness?  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “stealthiness” as: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character.  Hasn’t Osama bin Laden’s anarchical ideology permeated throughout Muslim populations precisely like a “true serpent”?                    

• Both quatrains include wording and metaphorical inferences which infer violence, social turmoil, and antipathy to “something” being imposed on Muslim societies from other countries, presumably Christian countries.  Could Nostradamus’ metaphorical expression “…the rule of the Church will succumb to the sea” refer to America’s attempt to convert Islamic societies into democratic countries?  Could the expression “the rule of the Church” be referring to our Christian concept of the Rule of Law, upon which democratic societies are based?  

 

• For several years U.S. administrations aimed to convert Muslim countries to democracies.  The concept of democracy exists in Judeo-Christian societies and is based on the Rule of Law.  So far, all attempts by the Bush and Obama administrations to establish democracy in Muslim countries have failed miserably, and the main reason for the failure may be the fact that the Islamic concept of Sharia Law is in direct contradiction with the Rule of Law.  Could this be what Nostradamus is telling us with his metaphorical comment “…will succumb to the sea”?  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word succumb as follows: to be brought to an end (as death) by the effect of destructive or disruptive forces.  We have witnessed Nostradamus’ predictions materialize in Iraq, Afghanistan, and recently in Libya and Egypt.     

 

Century VI, quatrain 80 cites “…the great man of Asia with a great troop by land and sea so that blues, perse, he will drive out the cross to death.”  Doesn’t this expression correctly describe the outcome of the United States’ involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Middle Eastern Countries? Nostradamus’s description could not be any more precise.  Isn’t America’s current isolationism and reluctance to assist the Syrian rebels a validation of what Nostradamus correctly predicted over five hundred years ago?  But, note that Nostradamus’ expression also includes Iran.  He is clearly telling us “our troubles are not over yet”.  In fact, our troubles with Iran are only beginning. 

 

• Century V, quatrain 25, cites “Towards Persia very nearly a million men will invade Egypt and Byzantium.”  Within a short sentence Nostradamus provides us three very important pieces of information. 

1. First, the word “towards” has a relational inference.  Here Nostradamus informs us that Osama bin Laden’s ideology (associated with the Al Qaeda activities and social turmoil) would originate east of Persia/Iran, and move westward, which is precisely how his ideology spread.  Afghanistan, and subsequently Pakistan, the two countries where he lived and operated for many years, are east of Iran.

2. Second, Nostradamus uses the word “Byzantium” metaphorically to designate the areas that will be affected by Al Qaeda supporters who espouse bin Laden’s ideology of violence.  Byzantium stands for the geographic area of the Byzantine Empire which currently encompasses several Muslim countries.  This short sentence tells us that none of the areas previously occupied by the Byzantine Empire will be immune to bin Laden’s ideology. And,

3. Third, Nostradamus points out “Egypt” by name.  Up-to-date, other than in the Sinai Peninsula, terrorist activities in Egypt have been relatively limited and under control.  Is Nostradamus warning us that, following Prime Minister’s Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow by the military, Egypt will experience social unrest and terrorism similar to what has been happening in Iraq and Afghanistan?  Judging from the way Nostradamus has phrased the sentence, his prediction has profound implications for Egypt’s future.  I believe Nostradamus cites Egypt by name because he predicts a very bleak and turbulent future for the country.  Considering the country’s growing unemployment and abject poverty level, the income disparity among its people, the overall worsening economic conditions in the region, the projected population growth, the inadequate water resources to meet needed projected irrigation requirements, and the intensification of regional sectarian tensions and lawlessness, Nostradamus’ prediction merits very serious consideration. During the Mubarak period repression was successful because Egypt’s economy was not that bad, and the government’s main concern was religious fundamentalism.  This is no longer the case.  Egypt’s economic conditions are bound to deteriorate dramatically due to political uncertainty, reduced foreign investments, the disappearance of tourism, and the weakening Egyptian Pound and ensuing domestic inflation.  Egypt could readily become fertile ground for serious social unrest and terrorism.  Furthermore, Egypt is an integral microcosm of the overall explosive state of the Middle East.

      

Furthermore, both quatrains refer to Persia, the old name for Iran.  In both quatrains Nostradamus associates Iran with hostilities.  In another prediction, century I, quatrain 70, Nostradamus’ description of the events leading to Iran’s current geopolitical ambitions and national interests could be considered a perfect bull’s eye – completely relevant to what transpired with the overthrow of Emperor Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi on February 11, 1979 and Iran’s current evolving situation (see century I, quatrain 70 on www.CURRENTpredictions.org).